Bicycle.



Patented Oct. 9, I900.

J. P. SCHOOLER.

BICYCLE.

(Application filed Mar. 28, 1896.]

(No Model.)

A HORNE-Y8.

JOSEPH P. SOHOOLER, or COLORADO, TEXAS.

BICYCLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 659,595, dated October 9, 1900.

Application filed March 28, 1896. Serial No. 585,233. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. SCHOOLER, of Colorado, in the county of Mitchell and State of Texas, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in bicycles seeking to provide a simple novel construction by which to drive the wheel, and in so doing has for an object to provide means whereby lever-power may be utilized in the form of a treadle todrive the ordinary form of safety-bicycle in such manner as to enable the exertion of great force and to secure a rapid speed with but little exertion; and the invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a bicycle provided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged side view of the improved devices. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on about line 3 3 of Fig, 1. Fig. aillustrates the connection between the upper ends of the treadle-supporting bars and the machine-frame. Fig. 5 illustrates the connection between the lower ends of said supporting-bars and the machine-frame.

The bicycle may be of any ordinary construction and is provided with bars A and B, which bars may be for convenience of referen ce referred to, respectively, as the upright brace A and the lower braces B, the shaft C of the chain-wheel being arranged at the juncture of the lower end of the upright brace with the forward end of the lower braces, and this shaft 0, as well as the chain-wheel D, fixed thereto, may be of any suitable construction and may be supported in any desired manner. The chain-wheel D is arranged at one end of the shaft 0, and to this shaft at the same end and also at its opposite end I connect ratchet-wheels E, which may be alike and may be secured to the shaft in any suitable manner. It is usual and preferred to connect the ratchet-wheel E which is adjacent to the chain-wheel D directly to the wheel D, as shown. In connection with the ratchet-wheels I provide the treadles F,which have pawls G engaging the ratchet-wheels E, such treadles being constructed, supported,

and arranged to operate as will be more fully described hereinafter. The pawls G are suited to the position they occupy and havetheir points bifurcated, forming guards G, which project down on the opposite sides of the ratchet-wheel E and prevent any displacement of the pawl. To support the treadles, I provide the frame therefor, which consists of the bars H, heldat their upper ends to the up- .right brace A and at their lower ends to the lower braces B, one at each side of the rear wheel, as shown. These bars H are provided at their upper ends with lateral in Wardly-extending arms h, which lap alongside the upright brace, one in front and the other in rear of said brace, and, as shown in Fig. 4, these arms H extend at both ends beyond the brace A to receive the boltsL'which connect thearms in. These bolts I fit on'opposite sides of the brace A and serve to secure the bars H rigidly to said brace A in such manner that they may be held to the said brace at any suitable height. This construction avoids any alteration or injury to the brace A, which'may, if desired, be protected from even being marred by inserting a suitable rubber or other cushion J around that part of the brace A which is embraced by the parts connecting the bars H thereto. At their lower ends the bars H lap outside the lower braces B and are held thereto by the clips K, which extend around the braces B and through openings in the bars H and are secured by nuts,as shown. The bars H are provided with several holes 7c for the arms of the clips K, so that the bars H may be adj usted vertically along the braces B in securing the desired arrangement of the treadles. On the bars H, about midway between their ends, I provide box-frames H, which project laterally from the bars H and support one end. of the shaft L, on which the treadle pivots, the other or inner end of such shaft being supported by the bar H. The treadle F extends through this box H and has a ball-bearing at its pivot, which ball-bearin g may be as shown or of any other suitable construction. From its pivot the lever extends forward over the bearing for the shaft 0 to a point suitably arranged to receive the pedal M, which pedal may be located in position to give the greatest power or speed or to secure any other desired result in the operation of the machine.

The treadle extends for a short distance in rear of its pivot and then bends upward at N, then slightly forward at N and receives the pawl G, which engages the ratchet-wheel in such manner that the depression of the pedal end of the treadle will operate by the engagement of said pawl with its ratchet-wheel to propel the machine forward.

In operation the rider may work the treadles alternately or together, as he desires, or may work one treadle and rest the other treadle upon the bearing for the shaft. It will be seen that by means of the bearing for the shaft 0, I provide arest for the treadle, upon which it may hear at any time, forminga firm steady pedal-rest for use in coasting or at any other time.

It will be noticed that my improvements are adapted for use upon any of the conventional forms of bicycles and may be readily applied to any of the machines now upon the market without necessitating any structural changes therein.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide a spring, such as g, for holding the pawl Gin contact with the ratchet-wheel but this will not be necessary in all instances and may be omitted if desired.

An especial advantage results from pivoting the treadle-levers to the rear of the ratchet-wheels, as thereby the length of the short arm of the said treadle may be less than the semidiameter of the said ratchet-wheel, which could not be the case if the pedal-lever were pivoted upon the axis of the said ratchetwheel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is

1. In a bicycle substantially as described, the combination of the treadles and the supports therefor consisting of bars provided at their upper ends with lateral arms, bolts connecting said arms and adapted to clamp the same to the upright brace of a bicycle and scribed, consisting of the treadle-supporting bars having at their upper ends lateral arms, bolts connecting said arms and adapted to clamp the same to the upright brace, bearingboxes midway between the ends of said bars and clips for securing the lower ends of the bars to the lower brace, such bars being provided with a plurality of openings for the arms of said clips, the treadles pivoted in the box-bearing of the. supporting-bars and having in rear of said pivots extensions provided with upwardly and forwardly projecting portions, the pawls pivoted to said portions, and pedals supported at the forward ends of the treadles and provided with laterally-extended foot-clasping springs substantially as shown and described.

3. In a bicycle the combination with the ratchet-wheel and the treadle-lever, of the pawl carried by said lever and having its point engaging the ratchet bifurcated forming guards projecting along the opposite sides of said ratchet-wheel substantially as shown and described.

4. In combination with the bicycle framebars, the ratchet-wheel, and the treadle having a pawl engaging said ratchet-wheel, the supporting-bars having bearings for the said treadles and clamps by which the said bars may be adj ustably secured to the frame-bars of the bicycle substantially as shown and described.

JOSEPH P. SCHOOLER.

Witnesses:

P. B. TURPIN, SoLoN C. KEMON. 

